Flexible electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10318061-B2
Application number	US-201815974545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2011
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery. A flexible printed circuit may include flexible and rigid portions or openings that allow some rigid portions to flex with respect to other rigid portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising: a foldable housing operable to be folded and unfolded, wherein the foldable housing has first, second, and third housing portions, wherein the foldable housing is configured to fold along a first fold axis between the first and second housing portions and a second fold axis between the second and third housing portions;
a display that overlaps the first, second, and third housing portions;
a sensor that detects when the foldable housing is folded and unfolded; and
processing circuitry that turns on the display when the housing is unfolded and turns off the display when the housing is folded.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprise organic light-emitting diode pixels.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display folds at the first and second fold axes.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a flexible battery.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a printed circuit that folds at first and second locations.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing has an adjustable flexibility.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the flexibility of the housing is adjusted in response to user input.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the user input comprises touch input.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a flexible touch sensor.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the first and third housing portions overlap the second housing portion when the housing is folded.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a foldable display configured to be folded and unfolded, wherein the foldable display has first and second display portions, wherein the foldable display bends along a fold axis between the first and second portions;
a housing having a first rigid portion that supports the first display portion and a second rigid portion that supports the second display portion;
a touch sensor that detects touch input on the foldable display; and
a processor that adjusts a shape of the foldable display in response to the touch input.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the touch sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the foldable display comprises organic light-emitting diode pixels.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the housing comprises fabric.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry adjusts a rigidity of the housing based on the touch input.

16. An electronic device, comprising:
a foldable display;
a foldable housing, wherein the foldable housing and the foldable display bend about a bend axis;
a touch sensor that receives touch input; and
processing circuitry that adjusts a shape of the foldable display and the foldable housing in response to the touch input.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the foldable display and the foldable housing bend about an additional bend axis.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the foldable display comprises organic light-emitting diode pixels.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the touch sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to adjust a flexibility of the housing in response to the touch input.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Franklin Jeremy C
• Myers Scott A
• Rappoport Benjamin M
• Lynch Stephen Brian
• Ternus John P
• Wodrich Justin R

Classifications

• H04M1/0216

  Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge · CPC title

• G06F1/3265

  Power saving in display device · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• Y02E10/549

  Organic PV cells · CPC title

• G09G3/3208

  organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] · CPC title